Tray cover with guard



April 5, 1966 R. s. woLowlcz ETAL 3,244,356

TRAY COVER WITH GUARD Filed Feb. 6, 1964 States Patent O 3,244,356 TRAY 'COVER WITH GUARD Richard S. Wol'owicz, Chicago, Ill., and Dennis J. Kossnar, Knox,fr Ind., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill.,` a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb: 6, 1964, Ser`, No. 343,018 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to covers for trays of the type in which popcorn-is popped within an expansible inner foil container.

In this form of package the` corn to be popped is usually contained within a thin foil' liner which is held within a circular outer tray. The upper part of the liner is suitably treated by a twisting and folding process so as to provide for considerable upward expansion. After insertion of the raw popcorn within the foil liner and bringing the top surface of the liner to a attened condition, a' disk of paperboard, bearing advertising and descriptive printed matter, is placed over the liner, and the outer edge of the paperboard disk is secured to the tray by 'crimping or folding the edge of the tray over the edge of the disk. When it is desiredto prepare the package for popping the corn, a major part of the paperboard disk isremoved by tearing it along a line close to its outer edge portion which latter remains secured to the tray.

For the best results in popping the corn, it is important not to disrupt `the liner and thus care must be taken in `tearing away the' central part of the disk-shaped cover.

In accordance with a form of popcorn lpackage cover now in current use, a continuous cut in the outer surface of the paperboard cover disk is made s'o that the cut will be disposed a small distance inside the inwardly extending crimped edge of thel outer tray. Another continuous cut is made on the under-side of the cover disk, this cut being displaced inwardly from the rst cut in the outery surface. Each cut. extends only part way through the paperboard. At one point on the cover disk there is formed a liftable tab by cutting completely through the paperboard 'in one area so that one edge of the tab will extend along the 'first mentioned cuts and the inner edge of the tab willV extend along a line spaced concentrically `to such cuts. Thus, when the tab is lifted, tearing stress can be applied along the first mentioned cuts to assist in the removal of the entire inner portion of the disk disposed inside the first mentioned cuts. In order to lift the end of the tab a persons finger must be forced beneath it so that the tab may be gripped. The process of working a finger in beneath the tab is often likely to cause the thin, delicate foil to become punctured or torn in the area just below the tab with the result that the popping process will not be as successfully accomplished as in the case in which the foil liner remains completely intact.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a guard element disposed below the liftable tab on the removable disk portion which will protect the liner from being disrupted when a persons finger is inserted beneath the end of the tab.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guard element for the above stated purpose which is integrally formed with the cover disk.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the improved cover showing a guard element extending from its edge and indicating in broken lines the position of the guard when disposed beneath the end of the opening tab;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view, taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE 3, showing how the end of the lliftable tab is engaged by a pe'rsons finger, and showing how the guardremainsbetween the end of the finger andthe foil liner;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan View showing the liftable tab raised and being used to tear outfthe central portion of the closure disk; and

lFIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the tray with lthe corn Vpopped and showingV the end portion of the guard swung upwardly by the expanded liner pushed upward by the expandedv contents.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the closure disk 1 is secured to the tray 2 by -folding or crimping the marginal edge 3 of the tray around' the margins of the closure disk 1. The margins of a foil liner 5 are at the same time secured with the disk margins and the central portion of the foil liner is so conditioned by twisting and pleating or interfolding that the foil may expand above the` popped corn, as indicated in FIGURE 4;

The closure disk is preferably formed with a single liftable tab, indicated at 6, the long axis of which is generally concentric to the disk margin. In the present instance the extremity of the tab is formed by two angularly related cuts '7 and S, a third cut 9 Ajoined with cut 8 and a fourth cut 10 joined with the cut 7. As shown, these cuts extend completely through the paperboard.

Aligned with one end of the cut 9 is a cut 1-1 extending only partially through the paperboard. This cutis formed on the outside surface of the disk and extends concentrically with the disk margin entirely around vthe disk to meet the opposite end of the cut 9. A second cut I2, extending partially through the paperboard, is formed on the underside surface of the disk. This cut `intersects the cut v8 at approximately mid-way of its length and extends `ooncentrically with the cut 11 sub'- stantially entirely around the disk .to a point just short ofthe end of cut 9. A short supplemental cut 12a extends at an angle to the main cut 12 `to meet the end of cut 9. The cut 12 is spaced a short distance inwardly of the cut 11 and each cut-extends sufficiently inward of the paperboard, whereby the two cuts together form a severance line to enable the central portion of the disk to be torn from the marginal portions of the disk.

To facilitate further lifting of the tab 6 beyond its free end portion a partial cut 10a is formed in the upper face of the disk as an extension of the cut 10. A partial cut 13 is formed in the under surface of the disk substantially equidistant from the partial cut 10a whereby a severance line is formed between the two cuts 10a and 13. These cutsv are preferably made along lines curving inwardly toward the center of the disk whereby the width of the extended portion of the tab becomes increasingly greater as the tear advances. In the usual occurrence, as soon as the tear has advanced along severance lines 11 and 12 and 10a and 13 approximately to the location indicated in FIGURE 3, a lfurther pull upon the tab will continue the severance along lines 11 and 12. to cause removal of the entire central portion of the disk inside the edge defined by cut 12.

For the purpose of protecting the portion of the foil liner S which lies immediately below the tab 6 a guard element, indicated as a whole at 15, is placed below the end of the tab. While this guard element may have various shapes, it is preferably formed with a rounded contour, as shown, and it is also preferably formed integral with the disk 1 and hinged thereto along fold line 16. When the disk is assembled with the tray, prior to crimping, the guard element will be folded inward to lie against the under surface of the disk.

In order -to facilitate the downward movement of the guard element it is divided into two sections, 17 and 18,

by impressing a score line 19. Thus,when a persons finger is inserted beneath the end of the tab 6 the section 1S of the guard will be depressed, as indicated in FlG- URE 2. This will cause lthe adjacent liner portion also to be depressed sufiiciently to enable the guard element to be lifted easily. The rounded contour of the guard tends to assure that the foil liner will be gently displaced Without likelihood of being disrupted.

As the corn is being popped, causing the liner to expand, the hinged section 1S of the guard will swing upward, as shown in FIGURE 4, and thus will not offer undue resistance to the upward movement of the liner. It is to be noted that the hinge line 19 of the guard is approximately aligned with the cut edge 12, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, and that the material of the guard at the ends of the hinge line will not present any sharp angles for the foil liner to contact as it expands.

For the purpose of making it easier for a persons finger to engage beneath the end of the liftable tab e a short cut 20 is preferably formed passing completely through the material of the disk. This cut is preferably aligned with the tip of the tab and createstwo depressible portions adjacent the end of the tab. Downward deflection of these portions even to a small extent makes it a simple matter for a person to insert the end of his finger beneath the tab, and, since the end of the tab is completely free, it may then be readily lifted as the linger is worked in farther under the tab.

While the present description sets forth a preferred ernbodiment of the invention, various changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodimen be considered in all respec as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A .tray cover construction having a generally circular paperboard disk adapted to be marginally connected to the edge portions of a shallow tray containing expandable food material held within an expandable foil liner, said disk comprising:

(a) a central, removable section defined by a severance line spaced inwardly from the edge of the disk;

(b) said section including an integral liftable tab disposed inwardly adjacent said severance line and having a free end, defined by at least one cut line extending entirely through said removable section, by

means of which tearing may be started along said severance line preparatory to lthe removal of said section;

(c) an inwardly extending guard element carried by said paperboard disk and disposed beneath the free end of said liftable tab;

(d) said guard element being commensurable in size with the free end of said tab to shield the underlying foil liner when a persons finger is inserted beneath the free end of the tab in the process of lifting the tab preparatory to the removal of said section.

2. A tray cover construction, as dened in claim 1, in which the guard element is formed integrally with the paperboard disk and is joined thereto along a fold line at the edge of the disk.

3. A tray cover construction, as defined in claim 1, in which the guard element is connected adjacent the edge of the paperboard disk and such guard element being foldable along a line generally conforming with the severance line in the disk, whereby the outer portion of the guard may fold upwardly as the foil liner expands upwardly relatively to the tray.

4. A tray cover construction, as defined in claim 1, in which the paperboard disk is formed with a cut adjacent to the free end of `the liftable tab Ato provide a depressible portion adjacent the tab free end to facilitate insertion of the tip of a persons finger beneath the tab.

5. A tray cover construction, as defined in claim 1, in which the paperboard disk is formed with a cut generally aligned with and extending away from the liftable tab to provide a pair of depressible portions adjacent the tab end which may be depressed by a persons linger to facilitate insertion of the -tip of the finger beneath the free end of the tab.

References Cited by the Examiner UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,961,557 6/1934 Fallows 224-51 3,043 ,472 7/1962 Nemode. 3,054,680 9/1962 Mennen y229-51 X 3,144,194 8/ 1964 Cartwright 229-51 3,185,578 5/1965 Scharre 229-51X FOREIGN PATENTS 672,175 10/ 1963 Canada.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRAY COVER CONSTRUCTION HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR PAPERBOARD DISK ADAPTED TO BE MARGINALLY CONNECTED TO THE EDGE PORTIONS OF A SHALLOW TRAY CONTAINING EXPANDABLE FOOD MATERIAL HELD WITHIN AN EXPANDABLE FOIL LINER, SAID DISK COMPRISING; (A) A CENTRAL, REMOVABLE SECTION DEFINED BY A SEVERANCE LINE SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE EDGE OF THE DISK; (B) SAID SECTION INCLUDING AN INTEGRAL LIFTABLE TAB DISPOSED INWARDLY ADJACENT SAID SEVERANCE LINE AND HAVING A FREE END, DEFINED BY AT LEAST ONE CUT LINE EXTENDING ENTIRELY THROUGH SAID REMOVABLE SECTIONS, BY MEANS OF WHICH TEARING MAY BE STARTED ALONG SAID SEVERANCE LINE PREPARATORY TO THE REMOVAL OF SAID SECTION; (C) AN INWARDLY EXTENDING GUARD ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID PAPERBOARD DISK AND DISPOSED BENEATH THE FREE END OF SAID LIFTABLE TAB; (D) SAID GUARD ELEMENT BEING COMMENSURABLE IN SIZE WITH THE FREE END OF SAID TAB TO SHIELD THE UNDERLYING FOIL LINER WHEN A PERSON''S FINGER IS INSERTED BENEATH THE FREE END OF THE TAB IN THE PROCESS OF LIFTING THE TAB PREPARATORY TO THE REMOVAL OF SAID SECTION. 